Soaked in Bleach
| Soaked in Bleach | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Benjamin Statler |
| Produced by |
|
| Written by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Ben Kutchins |
| Edited by |
|
Production company |
|
| Distributed by | Montani Productions |
Release dates | June 11, 2015 |
Running time | 89 Minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Soaked in Bleach is an American docudrama directed by Benjamin Statler, who co-wrote and produced it with Richard Middelton and Donnie Eichar. The film details the events leading up to the death of Kurt Cobain, as seen through the perspective of Tom Grant, the private detective who was hired by Courtney Love to find Cobain, her husband, shortly before his death in 1994. It also explores the premise that Cobain's death was not a suicide. The film stars Tyler Bryan as Cobain and Daniel Roebuck as Grant, with Sarah Scott portraying Courtney Love and August Emerson as Dylan Carlson.
Synopsis
The film provides a look at inconsistencies in the death of Kurt Cobain (portrayed by Tyler Bryan), the lead singer of the American grunge band Nirvana, as seen through the perspective of private investigator and former police detective Tom Grant (portrayed by Daniel Roebuck). In addition to the dramatization of Cobain's final days, the film combines documentary footage as well as interviews with people associated with the case such as former Seattle Police Chief Norm Stamper and former president of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences Cyril Wecht.[1][2] Grant's own recorded conversations with key figures such as Rosemary Carroll, Cobain and Love's attorney[3] and Dylan Carlson—the man who purchased the shotgun used to kill Cobain—are also prominently featured.
Production
Soaked in Bleach marks the directorial debut of Benjamin Statler, who co-wrote and produced the films Act of Valor and Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan's Hope.[1] Statler co-produced the film with Richard Middelton and Donnie Eichar. The title, "Soaked in Bleach", derives from a lyric off the Nirvana song "Come as You Are" which was the second single from their second album Nevermind.[4]
Reception
There is considerable dispute over the film's ratings on various sites, in particular the number of votes placed and the time in which they occurred. On IMDb, for example, hundreds of reviews flooded in before the movie had a significant release, leading many to question their authenticity. Furthermore, those immediate ratings were a score of 1 out of 10, which appears suspiciously like ballot-stuffing. The film has received mixed reviews, but due to the suspicious nature of the votes, and the time in which so many multiples of votes were placed, the initial rating was not an accurate reflection of the film nor even of the votes themselves. However, with time, there have been many more votes on IMDb, and so the numbers have leveled out more accurately.
Yet, on some review sites, the sample size is so small that the totals are not statistically significant, nor an accurate reflection of the movie's reviews. For example, the film currently has only 7 ratings on Metacritic[5] and only 10 ratings on Rotten Tomatoes.[6]
On IMDb, however, there have been considerably more ratings, yielding a more significant data sample. Amongst the more than 10,000 ratings on IMDb, the current average score is 7.5/10. [7]
Many believe that Tom Grant created this claim in order to get better reviews for the movie.
Controversy
On June 17, 2015, Deadline.com reported that Courtney Love—Cobain's widow—had sent cease and desist letters against theaters showing Soaked in Bleach claiming, “A false accusation of criminal behavior is defamatory … which entitles Ms. Cobain to both actual and presumed damages". The letter also states "We hereby demand again that you immediately cease any and all plans for exhibition or promotion of the Film. If we do not hear from you within five days, we are required to immediately pursue all available civil legal remedies on behalf of our client against you."[8] To date no lawsuit has been filed on Ms. Cobain's behalf. The producers of the film responded to the letters by—in part—stating, “Courtney Love’s uninformed accusations and efforts to discredit the film are totally off base. Courtney Love and her lawyers clearly don’t like that the film presents a compelling case for re-opening the investigation into Kurt’s death. They should respect the First Amendment and let people decide for themselves.”[8]
Courtney Love does not have the ability to directly take legal action upon the movie, solely because of the end credits that state that the names used are "coincidental" and that the reenactments are "fictitious".
See also
- Kurt & Courtney, 1998 documentary on the same subject
References
- 1 2 Campbell, Christopher (April 8, 2014). "Soaked in Bleach Trailer: The Kurt Cobain Death Conspiracy Docudrama Starring That Guy From Lost". Film School Rejects. Austin, Texas: Reject Media. Retrieved April 10, 2014.
- ↑ Orange, B. Alan (April 8, 2014). "Soaked in Bleach Trailer Examines the Death of Kurt Cobain". MovieWeb. Los Angeles: Watchr Media. Retrieved April 10, 2014.
- ↑ DeVille, Chris (April 8, 2014). "Watch The Trailer For Soaked In Bleach, A Kurt Cobain Conspiracy Film With Cheesy Reenactments". New York City: Stereogum. Retrieved April 10, 2014.
- ↑ Hudson, Alex (April 7, 2014). "Kurt Cobain Death Conspiracies Revisited in Soaked in Bleach Film". Exclaim!. Toronto. Retrieved April 10, 2014.
- ↑ http://www.metacritic.com/movie/soaked-in-bleach
- ↑ http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/soaked_in_bleach/
- ↑ http://m.imdb.com/title/tt3253624/
- 1 2 Lincoln, Ross A.; Patten, Dominic (16 June 2015). "Courtney Love Sends Cease & Desist Against Kurt Cobain Movie 'Soaked In Bleach']". deadline.com. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
External links
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
